Frugal fatigue seems to be setting in across America, or at least that’s what an expert in a recent Associated Press story “Shoppers Stay Cautious” said. This article, which focused on a slight bounce back of retail sales, seemed to indicate that people were beginning to shop again, much to the relief of retailers. “The 31 retailers that Thomson Reuters tracks reported same-store sales were better in March than analysts expected,” the article read. “And Gallup estimates that the average daily consumer spending it tracks rose from $53 in mid-March to $71 by the last week of the month.”

While I’m not convinced that we’re out of the recession woods yet, I can understand this notion of frugal fatigue–or just being so darn tired of not shopping for anything but necessities. That doesn’t mean that I think everyone should go out and resume their spendthrift ways, but I do believe you can find a happy balance between watching your bottom line and feeling fulfilled. That’s why I’m offered these 5 ways to fight frugal fatigue:

1. Consider want versus need. When you’re younger it’s easy to see a “want” and a “need” as one and the same thing. But sometimes a “want” really is a “need.” For example, I recently discovered that though I wanted a new pair of sneakers, the truth was I really needed a new pair. I walk my dog, on average, about three miles everyday. While researching a story on frugal exercise last week, I came across a statistic that gave me pause: the average pair of sneakers is meant to have a life span of 300 to 500 miles only. After that the sneaker starts to break down and lose its effectiveness. My feet just started to ache as I began to realize that this meant that I should have been replacing my sneakers (tennis shoes to some) at least every three months. And when was the last time I’d bought new sneakers? Last August or eight months ago. So I logged onto Zappos.com (free shipping for purchases and returns–be still my frugal heart), and bought myself a new pair of sneakers. It may seem like an indulgence to have purchased a brand-new pair of sneakers when I’m pinching pennies but guess what? If I skimp on my feet and keep walking, I’m going to end up with some expensive bills from the podiatrist.
2. Find ways to treat yourself cheaply. If you still haven’t taken advantage of any of the free or inexpensive ways to enjoy a new movie, book or CD, now may be the time to do that. The more I think about services like PaperBackSwap, the more I realize that I could be enjoying new-to-me media just by giving away books, DVDs and CDs that we’re over and done with, and getting free ones in return. Plus, when you swap items on PaperBackSwap, your goodies arrive in the mail, which kind of feels like mail-order shopping. Just getting those packages in your mailbox may satisfy your shopping itch.
3. Uncover small ways to bring in extra cash. I’ll bet that if you took a look around your home, your basement or your attic, you could identify items that you could sell. If they’re not the media mentioned above, maybe it’s clothing that your teen has outgrown and which you could consign at Plato’s Closet or a Just Between Friends Sale. Or you could try to sell never-to-be-worn-again prom, bridesmaid or wedding dresses on a site like Bravo Bride. There’s always Craigslist, which is how I found the family that’s coming by my house tomorrow to take some stone pavers from my backyard and give me $150 for them. We had been looking to get rid of this large batch of pavers as we redo our landscaping for spring, since they don’t work in our new design. Instead of tossing them or giving them away for free on Freecycle, I thought I would try to sell them first and see what I could get for them. Now, we’ll have a few extra bucks in our pockets.
4. Grab your gift cards. If you’d like to take yourself shopping or out for a meal, can you do it on someone else’s dime? Remember how a long time ago I told you guys about the importance of creating a gift wallet? Well, I hope that you’ve taken this advice and have a gift wallet handy that might just still have gift cards worth spending in it. We recently discovered in our gift wallet an unused VISA gift card for $30 that I’d received as a “refund” for a product I’d purchased on Black Friday, and another $50 American Express Gift Card that my daughter got for Christmas and never got around to spending.
5. Find the free stuff you can do locally. I’ve become a huge fan of the Cities on the Cheap network, which my writer friend started in Atlanta last year. Now it’s spread to more than 40 U.S. cities. Everyday, you’ll find free or cheap things you can do with or “buy” for your family. For example, if you haven’t yet treated yourself to ice cream this spring and you live near a Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream Shop, Cities on the Cheap lets you know that you can get free ice cream there on April 15 or Tax Day.

What are some of the ways that you’re fighting frugal fatigue without destroying your budget?